Vehicle-brake.



No. 784,015. PATENTED FEB. 28, 1905. T. L. & T. J. STURTEVANT.

VEHICLE BRAKE.

APPLIGATION FILED SEPT. 3. 1904.

2 fiHEETS-BHEET l.

No. 784,015. PATENTED FEB. 28. 1905. T. L. 6; '1. J. STUBTEVANT.

VEHIULE BRAKE APPLICATION FILED SEPT.3,'1904.

' 2 SHEETS-BHBBT 2.

III

lrrn l SATES Patented February 2%, 1905.

THOMAS LEGGETT STURTIEVANTI, OF QUINCY, AND THOMAS JOSEPH STURTIEVANT, OF WELLESLEY, ll/iAfiirlAOllUSETTS.

vei-uere ennae.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 784,015, dated February 28, 1905.

Application filed September 3, 1904. Serial No. 228,248.

Be it known that we, THOMAS Lnoeu'r'r S'IURTEVANT, residing at Quincy, and THOMAS Josnrn STURTIGVANT, residing at l/Vclleslcy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, citizens of the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Vchiclc-l3rakcs, of which the following is a speci lication, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The present invention relates to brakes for n'lotor-vehicles, and is designed particularly for use on auton'iobiles, in connection with which vehicle the invention will be shown and described; but it will be understood that the road-vehicle illustrated in the drawings and described hereinafter is merely for the purpose of illustration, and the use of the braking, mechanism is not'to be understooc'l as limited to the particular vehicle shown, as it may be used wherever an easily-operated and highly-efficient braking apparatus for highs iieed motors is desired.

The invention has for its object to provide mz'inual and fluid-pressure (preferably a highlyelastic fluid, as air) operated brakes both of which are controlled from a single foot or coi'ltrolling lever, the two brakes, which are of blli' strayrainl-druni type, being so assembled and combined with relation to each other and the motor that the one supplements the action of the other, their action being so timed that preferably one acts slightly in ad \ltllt'i of the other. Furthermore, failure of either one of the brakes to (merate does not render the braking mechanism useless, since the mechanical brake and the tluid-prossurcoperated brake are indcpimdent of each other to the extent that one will operate regardless of the condition of the other and the operator of the machine has always perfect braking control over the vehicle.

.EliDOllllGJ' object of the invention is to improve upon the brake-band connections and operating devices so that the same brake ei'liciei'icy is developed in the band no matter in which direction the mutating parts may be driven and whether the vehicle be traveling 'mounted in slots 21 in hangers forward or backward the brake strap or band exerts the same action upon the brake-drum.

Other improvements will appear hereinafter, and in the claims appended hereunto we shall specify those features of our invention which we consider new.

In the drawings herewith we have shown one embodiment of our invention applied to an automobile, and in said drawings Finnre l is a side view of so much of a chassis or autol'nobile-frame as will serve to illustrate the application of our invention, the mechanical brake and the fluid-pressure brake, with their coi'itrolling foot-levers and operating' connections, being illustratcd in assembled condition. Figs. 2 and 3 are detail views of the mechanically-operated brake, showing the position of the parts when the bralm-drum is rotating in opposite directions. Fig. 4. a detail View showing the fluid-pressure brake. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail view to show the three-way cock for ccmtrolling' the filial-tiressure or power-operated brake shown in l? 4: and the connection of said cock with the foot controlling-lever.

Referring to the drawingsby mnnerals, like numbers indicath'ig like parts in the several views, 12 indicates the frammvork of an automobilc having the undorhung motor 13, the drivil'lg-shaft i l, the hollow clutch-containlug fly-wheel l5, and the change-gear speed mechanism Iii. Mounted on the shaft H (see Fig. l) is a l)l':tl(3-(lll.llll 17 of the ordinary type, said tu-alm-drmn being encircled by the usual brakwband l8. Said brake-bnnd is secured at its ends to two pins 19 and 2 which are 22, secured, by means of a suitable brzucket-arm 23, to the frame 12, as clearly shown in Fig. l. The said pins l.) and 20 are secured to actuathurlevers 2 L, connected at their outer ends by a cross-rod 25, from which crossa-od a flexible connection 26 extends to the controllingdcver EZT, suitable ,q'uide pullcys 28 being!provided, over which the flexible connoctiol'i E26 is led. The said controlling-lever Q7 is shown in the present instance as a foot-lovcr, and while this is the preferred and most ollicicnt form of controlling-lever it will be understood that l strap 30.

controlling-level we mean by the term any lever or equivalent brake-operating device under the immediate control of the operator.

Referring to the comparative showing in Figs. 2 and 3, the advantage of our novel manner of mounting the brake-band pins 19 and 20 in their supmrting-plates 22 will be apparent. way the brake-drum 17 may be rotated that brake-band pin (19 or 20, according to the direction of rotation of drum) against which the pull of the drum is acting will take a fixed bearing at the end of its slot 21, leaving the other pin free to move under the pull of the levers 2 and the brake connection. For example, in Fig. 2 the pin 20, which when the brake-dru m 17 is rotatingin the direction of the arrow shown in said figure is receiving the pull of the brake-band 18. becomes a fixed point of attachment for the brake-band,

while in the position shown in Fig. 3, in

which the brake-drum 17 is rotating in an opposite direction, the pin 19, which is receiving the pull of the brake-strap, is fixed. This construction has been found to be of great practical value, for the reason that the braking efiiciency remains the same no matter in which direction the brake-drum may be rotating, and this shifting of the fixed point of attachment for the brake-band from one side to the other takes place automatically in accordance with the direction of rotation of the brake-drum and without requiring any attention on the part of the operator.

As above stated, the mechanically-operated brake is preferably mounted on the d rivingshaft of the motor, and the fluid-pressure or power-operated brake, which will now be described, is shown as acting on the rear axle of the machine. It will be understood, however, that we do not tie ourselves to the particular disposition of the brakes shown, for it is obvious that their locations might be reversed or. in fact, that they could be mounted in operative relations to any part of the machine where it would be practicable to attach a brake.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, 29 indicates a brake-drum of the usual type which is secured to the rear wheel or axle of the machine, the

said drum being surrounded by the usual band 30, said brakel and being secured at its ends to adjustable pull-rods 31, passing through the free ends of levers 0.4, which levers are pivoted at their outer ends to supporting-ears on the fiuld-pressure cylinder 33, suitably supported on the'machine-frame. The said pres- It will be seen that whichever.

In order to secure the same uniformity of "braking action in this fluid-pressure brake regardless of the direction of rotation of the brake-drum 29, we adopt the same principle that is utilized in the mechanicallyoperated brake above described. To this end stops 35 are provided, against which the free ends of the levers 32 take their bearing, and during operation of this fiuidpressure brake that lever 32 (according to direction of rotation of drum 29) which is receiving the pull of the brake-strap will rest upon its stop 35 and become the fixed point ofattachment for the brake-band, while the other lever 32 will be forced outwardly under the action of the pressure-operated piston 34 and set the brakeband 30 upon the drum, and this same action will take place with absolute uniformity in whichever direction the drum 29 may be rotating.

In order to develop pressure within the cylinder 33, it is connected, by means of a pipe 36, with a pressure-tank 37, mounted in suitable and convenient position on the machine-frame, said tank 37 being shown in the present case as connected with one of the motor-cylinders by means of a pipe 38, provided with a checkvalve 39, so that asnitable pressure may be at all times maintained within the tank 37. It will be apparent that in lieu of connecting the tank 37 to the motor-cylinder an independent air-pump could be provided to develop pressure. e preferably provide said tank 37 with a nozzle 40, to which may be attached a suitable hose for the purpose of inflating tires. At its bottom the tank 37 has the drain or blow-ofl" cock 41, so that any matters of condensation which accumulate within the tank may be readily blown oil and not carried to the brake-pistons or into the tires when they are being inflated from the tank. The said brake-pressure pipe 36 is provided with a three-way cock 42 between the brake-cylinder and the pressure-tank, (see Fig. 5,) the said cock having a controlling-lever 43 connected with the foot-lever 27 in any operative man nor, as by the pin-and-slot connection shown in Fig.

It will be seen that when the parts are in a position of rest the lluid-pressure-hrake controlling-co'ck 42 will be open, as shown in Fig. 5 and the brake-cylinder 33 will be without pressure. Movement of the foot-lever 27 to braking position will not only operate the mechanical brake above described, but will throw l the three-way cook 42 to the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, throwing the pressure from the tank 37 into the brake-cylinder 33 and setting the fiuid -pressure-operated brake.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a highly-efiicient brake is provided and one in which by the combination of a mechanicallyoperated and a fluid-pressure brake, both operated by a single lever, the control of the machine is at all times perfect, and by reason of the shifting of the fixed points of attachment to r the brake-bands according to the direction of rotation of the drums the same efficiency in braking action is secured no matter in which direction the brake-drums may be rotating.

r tlthough we have described more or less precise forms and details of construction, we do not intend to be understood as limiting ourselves thereto, as we contemplate changes in form, in the proportion o'l parts, and the substitution of equivalents as circumstances may suggest or render expedient and without departing from the spirit of our invention.

Having thus described our invention, we claim-- 1. In a motor-vehicle and in combination, a i'nechanical brake, an operating-lever to positively control said mechanical brake, a fluidpressure brake, a source of pressure, a pressure-controlling valve, and connections between said lever and valve whereby movements of said mechanical brale-operating lever will throw on or cut oil pressurefor the 'lluid-pressure brake.

2. In a motor-vehicle and in combination, a mechanical brake, an operating-lever for said brake, a fluid-pressure brake, a source of pressure, a pressure-controlling valve having an operating-handle, and a pin or projection on said lever to engage said valve-handle and throw on or cut oil pressure for said fluid pressure brake as said lever is moved to set or release the mechanical brake.

3. in a motor-vehicle and in combination, a mechanical brake, a single brake-o1;)erating lever pivot-ally mounted on the vehicle-frame, a fluid-pressure brake, a source of pressure, a pressure-controlling valve having an operating-handle, and a pin or projection on said lever connected with said valve-handle so as to have a slight play relative thereto, whereby n'iovement of said lever will first actuate said mechanical brake and then throw said valve to actuate said fluid-pressure brake.

4. In a l1]()t()l*\(5l1l0l0ZtDCl in combination, a mechanical brake,a single brake-operating lever pivotally mounted on the vehicle-lrame, a ll aid-pressure brake, a source of pressure, a prcssure-controlling valve having a slotted o icrating-lumdle, and a pin or projection on said leverei'igaging the slotin said valve-handle so as to have a slight play therein, whereby movement oi said lever will lirst actuate said mechanical brake and then throw said valve to actuate said fluid-pressure brake,

la a motor-vehicle and in combination, brake drum, a brake band encircling said drum, movable parts to which the ends of said ln-al\e-band are secured, stops against which one or the other oi said movable parts takes a fixed bearingaccording to the direction of rotation of said drum, a fluid-pressure cyliir der, and pistons in said cylinder to engage and move one or the other of said movable parts away from its stop and tighten the brakeband.

6. In a motor vehicle and in combination, a brake-drum, a brakeband encircling said drunna fluid-pressure cylinder, oppositelymovablc pistons in said cylinder, levers mounted on said cylinder in operative relation to said pistons, said levers being connected with the ends of said brake-band, and steps against which one or the other of said levers takes a fixed bearing according to the direction of retation of the said drum.

7. In a i'notor-vehicle and in combination, a brake-drum, a brakeband encircling said drum, a pressure-cyliuder, oppositely-movable pistons in said cylinder, levers mounted at the opposite ends of said cylinder in operative relation to said pistons, said levers being connected with the ends of said brake-band, and stops on said cylinder adjacent the free ends of said levers against which one or the other ol said levers takes a fixed bearing according to the direction of rotation ol the said drum.

8. in a motor-vehicle and in combination, a mechanical brake,an operating-lever therefor, a fluid-pressu re brake, a fluid-pressure supply, a three-way controllingcock between said supply and said l'luid n'essure brake, and connections between said tln'ee-way cock and said operatingdever whereby movements of said lever control said iiuidpressm'e-controlling cock.

9. In a motor-vehicle and in combination, a mechanical brake, a fluid-pressure brake, a single controlling-lever for said brakes, a fluidpressure supply-tank, fluidin'essure connections between said supply-tank and said :liuidpressure brake, and an auxiliary hose-coupling on said supply-tank for tire inflation.

1.0. In a motor-vehicle and in combinatirm, an eugiiie-cylinder, a fluid-prcssure tank connected therewith and receiving pressure therefrom, a fluid-pressure brake connected with said tank, a manually-operatml 1)1(-SSI1l(-3-COI'P trolling lever between said tank and said lluidpressure brake, and auxiliary mechanical braking mechanism connected with and operatcd by said controlling-lever.

.ln testimony whereof we allix our signatures in presence of two witnesses. 

